Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 162: Fantastical Terror

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two: Fantastical Terror

Two days and nights had passed since they'd departed from Atka, and they had been riding for the duration of that time through chilly forests, but all Ella could do was sigh as she peered up at the slowly brightening sky on the morning of their third day.

"Looks like it's going to be another sunny day," she absently muttered, drawing her cloak around her body. "How unfortunate."

"Bear with it, my lady," Gus said soothingly, looking up from the map with a sigh. "We're making good time and progress. If need be, ask Phil to conjure something with his illusion magic to shield you from the sunlight. He's managed it before, I'm sure he can do it again."

When Ella turned to look at him, Xaphile peered at her from within the shadows of his hood, blue-green eyes gleaming faintly. Lying cradled against his chest with his arms wrapped around his shoulders, Adariel was sleeping soundly, mouth slightly open.

"Would you be willing to do that?" she tentatively inquired. "You don't have to if you aren't."

He blinked, then shrugged slightly, being careful with his movements.

His tail flicked back and forth across the saddle, curling around Skitsy's from time to time.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do," he finally said. "I might be able to."

Ella nodded, then turned her eyes on their surroundings.

They were making decent time with their travels towards the mountains. It was hard to pull off, but they hadn't stopped to make camp and had instead decided to take shifts while riding in their saddles to make sure they didn't go off course while everyone slept sitting up.

They had already left civilized life behind and were drawing ever closer to the mountains.

"Wow," Xaphile murmured. "Every time I think this place can't get more shocking, I see those mountains and go numb all over again. They're unreal."

Ella sighed as she was reminded again that things like this were a novelty to him and gazed at their destination: the red light of the rising sun was falling on the Nimikan Border, casting the snow-capped peaks in a fiery glare. She found the sight incredible, since the mountains themselves vaguely resembled the spikes on the back of a sleeping dragon.

To her, it looked as if time stood still.

"The mountain pass to Ordin isn't far from where we are," Gus muttered, finally rolling the map up with a sigh. "I'd say we might be able to reach the mouth of it by nightfall."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked, looking at the distance with a frown. "They look quite far."

"Aye, they're still a long way off," Gus sighed, blinking his eyes with a tired expression, "but we can make it to the foothills before nightfall, I'm sure of it."

"I trust you," Ella said, looking around at the sparse trees. "I ill like not being in the cover of the trees, however. When will this open, rocky terrain give way to more forests?"

"A good few hours at most," Gus snorted, giving her a look. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Ella frowned, then looked behind her at the distant trees.

They were walking through a stony gulch of some sort, heading cross country towards the mountains. They'd decided near the beginning to travel cross country to cut time off of their travels, but she hadn't fully expected anything aside from forests to be out here in the wilds.

She sighed and took a sparing drink from her water skin since it was almost empty.

She shook it once she was finished.